a disease found in parts of Africa and tropical America that is caused by a parasitic worm, Onchocerca volvulus, and transmitted to humans by various species of black fly. It results in inflammation of the skin and in some cases blindness
Also called: river blindness
Word origin
C20: from Onchocerca, the genus of worms + -iasis
onchocerciasis in American English
(ˌɑŋkoʊsərˈkaɪəsɪs)
noun
a fly-transmitted tropical disease in which parasitic filarial worms (genus Onchocerca) cause tumors, skin lesions, and blindness; river blindness